This publication serves as notice of intent to procure services for the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS), on a sole source basis with Alaska Communications, in accordance with the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253 (c)(1), One Responsible Source. Using FAR Part 12 procedures the Government intends to negotiate a contract with Alaska Communications to expand the existing Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) data network service link via fiber optic network circuits to the Weather Forecast Office (WFO) Anchorage and Juneau as a redundant system to continue operations in the event of a loss of service and eliminate the single point of failure that exists with only one system. NOAA intends to award a new contract to Alaska Communications (ACS) to expand their existing fiber network circuits to Weather Forecast Office (WFO) Anchorage and WFO Juneau by installing redundant and diverse pathed fiber circuits to each of these buildings. NOAA/NWS Alaska Region currently contracts MPLS data network services from Alaska Communications (ACS) throughout Alaska. WFO Anchorage is located at 6930 Sank Lake Road in Anchorage, AK. WFO Juneau is located at 8500 Mendenhall Loop Road in Juneau, AK. Both WFO's currently have a buried fiber network connection provided by ACS that exits one side of the building and connects into ACS' Wire Centers (WC). This requisition is for ACS to install a redundant and diverse fiber path out alternate sides of the WFO Anchorage and Juneau buildings and connect into different ACS CW's then they are currently connected to. These redundant and diverse fiber paths eliminate single points of failure to the WFO's by providing an alternate network routing path out separate points of the building and along diverse routes ending at separate wire centers within ACS' MPLS network. If at any point one of the fiber routes are severed by manmade or natural disasters, ACS' network will automatically fail over to the alternate path, providing a self-healing network that is resilient and reliable. ACS is currently under a GSA contract with NOAA to provide telecommunication service. This requirement is to pay for the installation of contractor owned and maintained infrastructure. The US Government will not own or be responsible for the maintenance of the fiber optic line and its associated equipment. The proposed contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302-1(b)(2). However, other potential sources with the expertise and required capabilities to provide these services may submit such data which demonstrates the technical requirements stated above in duplicate no later than 15 calendar days from the date of the posting of this announcement. This data must include sufficient information to allow NOAA to evaluate the proposal relative to the technical requirements stated above. Interested parties should include a description of significant collaboration and subcontracting that will be required to provide technically acceptable deliverables. No cost or pricing data is required. Interested parties who feel they are qualified to perform this work should submit their qualifications to the Contract Specialist, Blaise Ungerman at
[email protected]. The Government intends to negotiate a firm-fixed price contract. The NAICS code for this requirement is 517919 - All Other Telecommunications and the small-business size standard is $32.5M of average annual receipts. This notice represents the only official notice of this contract action. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, all submittals received by the due date set forth in this notice will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All contractors doing business with the Government are now required to be registered in System for for Award Management (SAM) please access the following web site: https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/##11 in order to register with the SAM and to be eligible to receive an award, all offerors must have a Dunn & Bradstreet Number. A Dunn & Bradstreet number may be acquired free of charge by contacting Dunn & Bradstreet on-line at https://creditreports.dnb.com/m/home?storeId=11154 or by phone at (866) 721-2275.